Means for use in making display-cards and the like.



G. W. GRAY.

MEANS FOR USE IN MAKING DISPLAY CARDS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED rm. 4,1914.

1,116,692, Patented Nov. 10,1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. GRAY.

MEANS FOR USE IN MAKING DISPLAY CARDS AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 4,1914,

1,1 16,692, Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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v UNITED STATES PAtrENT OFFICE.

GEORGE WILLIAM GRAY, OF VANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE CARDCOMPANY, LIMITED, OF 'WANGANUI, NEW ZEALAND. v

MEANQIEOR use. in MAKING DISPLAY-CARIDS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. February 4, 1914.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914. Serial No. 816,516.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE WILLIAM GRAY,subject of theKing of Great Britain, residing at lVanganui, in theDominion of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Improved Meansfor Use in ll faking Display-Cards and the like; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relatesto means that have been devised to facilitate themaking of display show cards for advertisements or other like purposes.The means are such as to provide for the making up of display cards tocontain any desired matter suitable for any trade by the trader himself,thereby dispensing with the services of pro fessional show card orticket writers.

The invention has been designed for use in the making of the cards andtickets by a process consisting in the employment of letters or designscut out from cardboard or other similarly sen material and pasted on tothe surface the card or base piece. Any desired matter may thus be madeup and displayed in different manners and when the letters or designsare. made of a different color to that of the card, the sign producedwill show up in strong relief.

The means forming the subject of this in vention are soconstructed as toprovide for. the letters or designs being individually gripped and thenpositioned onthecard in their proper places and then released andpressed on the card so as toadhere to its surface. p

My inventionconsistsmainly in the provision of a base plate on which thecard may be laid flatand having a clamp or other means for fastening thecard to prevent it from moving. Extending longitudinally across thetable is a slide rod the two ends of Which are carried in pillars orstandards mounted in transverse guides on the respective ends of thebase plate. These pillars are so constructed as to permit of the sliderod being inclined across the base plate and also to permit of thembeing moved across the plate to positiontheslide red at differentpointsthereon. Mounted on the slide rod and capable of moving along itis a special form of gripping appliance thatis adapted to hold a letteror design on its under surfaceand then to be movedalong the rod and torelease. the letter or design and press it in the desired place 011 tothe card.

1n fully describing my invention, I refer snow to the accompanyingdrawings in which :--i

Figure 1 is a planfand Fig.2 a front elevation of the whole appliance. F3 is a front elevation, and i a cross sectional elevation of one oftheslide rod pillars. Fig. 5 is a sectional view illustating the manner ofactuating the base board clamp. Fig. (l is a plan,Fig. 7 a sideelevation, Fig.8 an underneath plan, Fig. 9 a back end elevation, andFig. 10 a front end elevation of theletter gripping and positioningappliance. Fig. 11 is a cross sectional elevation thereof taken on theline 0e--00 of Fig. 7 and looking to the left of such line. i

The base plate A. is made of any suitable material, but prefenbly ofwood, and of any desired area according to the sizes of the displaycards for which the apparatus is to be used. Extending along each sideedge of the base plate are the slide guides B which are arrangedparallel to one another and which may be divided oil' into inches andproportions ofinches, as shown in Fig. 1. In each guide a pillarorstandard is i'noui'ited. This consists of an upright pillar C having anenlarged head C at its lower end that slides in beneath inwardlyoverhanging members B" of the guides. The pillar is formed with aslotted aperture D formed across it which aperture is adapted to receivetheslide rod E. A set screw F is screwed down through thetop end of thepillar and enters theslot so as to be adapted to engage the slide rodtherein. Fitting loosely over the pillar is a collar G having a nut Gscrewed thereon. The collar rests on the guide beneath it and the sliderod rests on the nut so that by adjusting the height of the nut, byscrewing it up or down, the height of the slide rod away from thesurface of the base plate A may be adjusted.

The pillar is capable of sliding to and froin its guide and of turningaround therein so that by the adjustment of the two pillars relativelyto one anotherthe angle and position of the slide rod E mayberegirlated. The pillar and slide rod are then locked from movement byscrewing down the set screw F until it engages the slide rod and pressesit hard upon the nutG and at the same time lifts the pillar heaclC andare letters to compose the sign.

jams it tightly. beneath the guide members B.

The base plate is furnished along its top edge with the clamping plate Hby means of which the display card may be held firmly on the base plate.This clamp is attached to the base plate at its respective ends by meansof the bolt J extending up through them and having a wing nut J screwedon to its upper end which by engaging the clamp, forces it down on tothe; base plate. A spring K (Fig. 5) is arranged around the bolt andcontained within depressionsin the adjacent faces of the base plate andclamp. This spring is in compression and serves to force the clamp upwhen the nut J is screwed back. Other means of actuating the clamp mayhowever be employed.

hf (Figs. 1 and 2) represents the gripping appliance for gripping andpositioning the This slides to and fro along the bar E and itsconstruction and operation are clearly shown in Figs. 6 to 11. At oneend of the base plate, a recess A may be arranged to receive a block ofabsorbent material N which may be saturated with water to dampen thegummed surfaces of the letters, or with a gum by means of which suchsurfaces may be gummed.

The appliance shown in Figs. 6 to 11 comprises a rectangular frame (1)the bottom of which is composed by a number of parallel strips of metal(2) arranged to extend longitudinally across it with spaces betweenthem. The frame is attached firmly to a top plate (3) which at its innerend is formed with the bearings (41) through which the slide rod Epasses loosely. The frame is free to turn up and down and to slide toand fro upon this rod. It is adapted to be retained either in a verticalor horizontal position by means of a flat spring (5) secured to the topof the bearing plate and overlying a cam block (6) that fits, on to therod E and lies between the bearings (4). This cam block is preventedfrom turning on the rod by means of a feather key (not shown) engagingthe key way (7) (Figs. 7 and 9) formed in the rod. It is however capableof sliding thereon with the frame. The cam block is formed with a topsurface (8) curving upward and rearward and a back surface (9) curvingdownward and forwardly. The spring is curved downward near its free endso thatby its pressure on the surface (8) it will force the frame intothe horizontal position and harddown on to the base plate. -When turnedup, the spring will slide over the top of this surface and engage theback surface (9) and thereby retain the frame in the vertical position.I

A pair of gripping jaws is carried in the frame, one of such jaws beingarranged at the rear end of the frame and consisting of a plate (10)extending across the bottom of the frame and attached at its respectiveends to arms (11) that pass up over the corresponding sides of the frameand which are pivoted, at 12, to such sides. The other jaw is composedby a block (13) having a mim ber of teeth (14) that extend down withinthe spaces between the strips (2) and are curved rearwardly toward therear jaw. This jaw is pivoted between the sides of the frame 1 by meansof pivot pins (15) extending outward on each side and bearing in slots(16) formed longitudinally in thec0r-- responding frame sides. Thismanner of so pivoting the jaw provides for it being moved to and fro inrelation to the rear jaw and therebyto adjust the jaws to grip varyingsizes of letters. This jaw is adapted to be locked at any point in theslots by means of the thumb nuts (17) screwed on to the respective pivotpins and engaging with the frame surfaces. The two jaws are keptnormally turned toward each other so as to retain a letter laced betweenthem, by the means shown in the drawings. These consist of a stirrup(18) extending across the 1 front end of the frame and alongside bothsides thereof and connected at its sides to the frame by means of thelinks 28. This is drawn normally rearward by means of a spring (19)attached to its front end andextending along beneath, the top plate (3)i to the rear end of theframe. The upper ends of the arms,(11) of therear jaw are pivoted to the respective side members of the stirrup sothat the rearward normal pull of such stirrup will cause the plate (10)of such jaw to be pressed forward. The block (13) of the front jaw is atits upper end provided with laterally extending pins (20) that pass outthrough slots (21) formed in the respective side members of the stirrup.This endof the block being inclined rearwardly from the pivot pins (15)on which it is hung on the frame, will result in the rearward pull ofthe stirrup causing the bottoms of the slots (21) to engage beneath thepins (20) and thereby to tend to raise such end of the block and turnits bottom jaw inward. An outward pull on the stirrup will reverse thesetendencies and cause the two jaws to turn outward from each other.

To actuate the stirrup a cam lever (22) is provided and pivoted in thefront end of the 120. plate (3). This lever bears against the inside ofthe front portion of the stirrup and it is providedwith a finger leverextension (23).,which when depressed will turn the cam lever outwardandthus open the jaws. WVhen the lever is released, the spring (19) willcause the parts to resume their normal positions, i

In the operation of the appliance, the card having been placed inposition on the base plate and the designs or letters cut in the desiredmanner, the slide rod is positioned in the requisite position to lay aline of them to close and grip such letter between them as indicated bythe dotted lines in Figs. 7 and 8. The appliance is then turned down soas to cause the letter to engage the gumming or dampening material N andis then again lifted and slid along until in its proper position abovethe card when it is dropped so as to cause the letter to engage the cardsurface. The letter is then re leased from the jaws by depressing thelever (23) and pressed hard on to the card by subjecting the frame to adownward pressure. If desired the frame may have a forwardly projectinglug (24:) Figs. 7 and 10 to facilitate its handling in this manner. Inthis way any desired matter may be at tached to the card in regularorder.

The appliance carries a gage bar (25) that extends transversely from adownward extension. (26) of the cam block (6). On this bar, anadjustablerod (27) is mounted which rod extends forwardly and remains at a setdistance above the card. The rod is adjusted to indicate the point towhich the appliance is to be moved along the slide rod to position itfor fixing each letter at the proper distance from that preceding it.Uniformity in the spacing of the sign may therefore be obtained.

The slide bar E instead of being straight may be curved in any desiredarc to provide for the letters being set in a correspond ing are uponthe card. A number of rods may thus be employed with the one appliancethese being interchangeable with one another.

If desired, the base plate A may be fur nishecl with a circular rotatingdisk mounted on its surface as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1,in order to provide for the displayed matter being arranged in a circlearound a card placed on such disk. In this case, the disk would berotated between the fining of each letter or symbol.

The adjustability in the height of the slide rod will allow for theapparatus being worked equally satisfactorily with varying thicknessesof cards, and letters, and will provide for an even fixing pressure uponthe letters when putting them in their places.

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patentis 1. Means for the purposes herein described comprising a base plate, arod extending across above the base plate and made adjustabletransversely and angularly thereon and a gripping appliance slidablymounted on the rod and adapted to grip and release letters and (or)'symbols placed within it, substantially as specified.

2. Means for the purposes herein described comprising a base plate, arod extending across above the base plate and adjustable transverselyand angularly thereon, a letter and (or) symbol gripping applianceslidably mounted on the rod and comprising a pair of jaws pivoted in aframe and normally turning toward each other upon the bottom side of theframe and means whereby such aws may be turned outward from each other,substantially as specified.

3. Means for the purposes herein described consisting of ajbase platehavin a transverse guide at each end thereof, a pillar slidably mountedin each guide and adapted to be locked in position at any point therein,a rod extending across the base plate and carried in the pillars at bothends thereof, and a gripping appliance slidably mounted on such rod andadapted to grip and to release letters and (or) symbols placed withinit, substantially as specified.

a. Means for making display cards and the like by the arrangement ofletters and (or) symbols upon the surface of the card, consisting of abase plate adapted to support the card, a slide rod mounted to extendacross above the base plate and made adjustable transversely andangularly thereon, and means slidably mounted on such rod, by which theletters and (or) symbols are gripped one by one and positioned at theirdesired places on the card and then pressed down thereon so as to adherethereto.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specificationin the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE WILLIAM GRAY. \Vitnesses FRANK KINcnoN TURNBULL,

JAMES RADIE.

Copien of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. i

